Versipellis
by WinterWind14
Summary: Nico and Reyna are questing in Rome but they might have bitten off a little more than they could chew. ONE-SHOT.


**Yay, I'm finally posting! I've actually wrote this story a while ago, but high school has kept be busy and I haven't been able to find the time to post it. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: This book is based on the stories and world of Rick Riordan. I do not own the plot or characters of the Percy Jackson novels.**

Nico leaned on Reyna, wincing with each movement. Reyna limped beside him, five identical gashes going down the length of her thigh. They were in Rome, yes actual Rome, on a mission for Nico's father, Hades. Or Pluto, whatever. Gaia's rise had released many monsters who, unfortunately, had not fallen with her, and Hades had been going crazy trying to reclaim them. He had sent Nico and Reyna to deal with a pack of hellhounds who had decided that Rome's sewer would make a suitable den.  
"They were too organized," Nico stated. Reyna nodded, grimacing at her mangled leg. They had emerged from the sewer in the middle of a field and were now headed towards the ruins of a Roman villa.  
"Gaia is gone, but my legionaries have reported smarter monsters organizing the remnants of her army." Reyna sat against the crumbling outer wall of the villa and unslung her backpack. "Could be the same thing here."  
"Hope not," Nico fell into a brooding silence, only grunting his acceptance when Reyna offered him a piece of ambrosia. The pair fell into silence as the godly food did its work; Nico's ribs healed and the wound on Reyna's leg began to fade.  
The haze of pain began to clear and Nico started to notice his surroundings. They were in a small room; most of the wooden furnishings had molded away, but a stone oven stood in the corner and ash smeared the cracked stones.  
"This must have been some kind of storage room, it's tiny."  
"No," Reyna disagreed. "See all the blackened stone? This must be the culina, the kitchen."  
"What wealthy woman would spend her time in such a small room?"  
"None," Reyna looked almost surprised at the suggestion. "What do you think slaves were for?" The pair walked through a break in the wall and found themselves in a large outdoor area that must have once been a garden.  
"The peristylium," Reyna whispered in awe. It had been overrun with weeds and many of the pillars were cracked, but Nico could see the grandeur it had once held. The main fountain was still standing and the sheer size of it simply screamed of the families importance.  
Something caught Nico's eye; a small temple-like structure jutting out from the wall. In the center was an intricate carving of four men in the toga praetexta, but what really caught his attention was the fact that the small shrine had seemed untouched by the years of neglect.  
"Reyna? Come over here a minute."  
Rena looked up from admiring an old statue amongst the weeds and frowned. "That's weird, it's a lararium, a shrine to the Lares, but I have no idea why it's so well preserved."  
"They don't like us here."  
"Who?"  
"The Lares, I can feel them." Nico looked up from the carving, "someone has been intruding and they're agitated, I think we should leave."  
"Not yet."  
"But-" Reyna ignored him and reached into her backpack, withdrawing the last of their ambrosia. She placed it carefully in the lararium and whispered something in Latin.  
"Better?"  
"For now, but-"  
"It is unwise to take back a gift." Without waiting for a response Reyna strode off into the house. Nico followed sullenly and protested when she suddenly spun and dragged him behind a shadowed pillar.  
"Shh," she hissed, releasing the hand she had placed over his mouth. "Look."  
In front of them was a large entry room - Nico thought it might have been called an atrium - obviously built to impress. It was the largest room they had seen so far with a shallow pool in the middle and open ceiling above it. The remains of once gorgeous frescoes were stained on the walls like fragments of a lost dream.  
But it was the figure beyond the pool that had Nico frozen in place. It was a woman, average height, brown hair, someone he normally wouldn't have looked at twice. But the eyes. They were the yellow orange of a hunter, burning with hate and lust for blood.  
Something told Nico he should run, but he was trapped, hapless prey frozen by the gaze of a master predator. The woman shed her clothes, seemingly unaware of her audience, revealing scars from untold battles. Calmly, with the grace of many moons of practice, she peed in a circle around the clothes before tilting her face up to the open compluvium. Silver light reflected in her amber eyes and with an animalistic howl she transformed.  
The giant wolf prowled around the impluvium and for a second her eyes locked with Nico's. Life and death, predator and prey, millions of slaughtered livestock were reflected in the deadly gaze, but there was no livestock here. Just Reyna, Nico, and the werewolf leaping at his face.  
It was Reyna who saved him. Seconds before the werewolf's claws met his face she forced him down; the wolf sailed over their heads and crashed into the pillar. Nico's head hit the stone floor, shaking him out of his trance. He bolted after Reyna through the atrium and the vestibulum, resisting the temptation to laugh as he passed the Latin "beware of dog" sign. They sprinted out of the house only to be faced with miles of fields.  
"Leave me." Reyna ordered.  
Nico looked at her as if she were insane. "Sorry?"  
"She'll outrun us easily and my leg is slowing me down." Nico looked down and noticed that her wound from earlier had reopened. "Leave me. Get back to camp."  
"No." Nico slowed down to match Reyna, who was admirably still running.  
"Greeks..." Reyna muttered.  
The werewolf had gotten over her flying face plant and was gaining rapidly. She snapped her jaws, catching hold of Reyna's cape. Reyna fell, the werewolf nearly on top of her. Nico drew his sword, and slashed. To his surprise, the werewolf fell back, blood dripping from her muzzle where Nico's sword had cut. He pressed forward, slashing again, while Reyna rolled to her feet and drew a pair of long hunting knives. They attacked together, each getting in a jab while the werewolf was distracted by the other.  
They were tiring however, still recovering from their fight with the hellhounds and their flight from the villa. They knew it was coming, and at last the werewolf got her lucky shot. Ducking Reyna's knives she managed to club Nico in the chest. Nico flew back, landing heavily on the ground. The wolf bounded over, Reyna unable to keep pace.  
Suddenly the werewolf looked up and raced off, leaving a half conscious Nico. Surprised, Reyna squinted, trying to see what had caught the werewolf's attention. Drawing a throwing knife from where it was strapped to the small of her back she aimed carefully, and took satisfaction in the agonized howl that followed. Yet the werewolf kept running.  
"Well that was interesting," Nico grimaced. "How'd you get rid of her?"  
"I didn't," Reyna admitted. "I saw a herd of katobleps though. Guess they looked tastier than us."  
"Huh," Nico said. "Can we go home now?" He directed the last part to the sky. An inky darkness overtook them, so complete it was as if nothing existed save themselves. For Nico the darkness was comforting; he could feel his father's presence around him. And then nothing, until three days later, waking up in the hospital wing of Camp Jupiter.

 **What'd you think? This actually came from a school assignment from latin class where we had to write about a ghost, witch, or werewolf that acted the way ancient Romans believed they did, so if the werewolf seemed a bit off that's why. Hope you enjoyed anyway, and leave a review!**

 **\- WinterWolf14**


End file.
